


Genius Loci or That Time Topher Brink Met Nolan Ross at a Job Fair

by Emma_Bishop



Category: Dollhouse, Revenge (TV)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-02-24
Packaged: 2017-12-03 11:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/697730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma_Bishop/pseuds/Emma_Bishop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arrogant boy genius meets arrogant former boy genius. It's not like at first sight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Genius Loci or That Time Topher Brink Met Nolan Ross at a Job Fair

Nolan Ross is too good for this popsicle stand. The convention center is luxurious in a bland, corporate way— all smooth white surfaces, frosted glass and unflattering lighting flying under the heading of modern. He should be back at his upper east side apartment playing Team Fortress Two not yukking it up with suited lackeys and shiny-faced hopefuls. Catherine from PR had been very firm on the phone about presenting a positive public face. Catherine hadn’t been a fan of the battlebots incident a.k.a, The incident of which we do not speak. Nolan has smiled at every hopeful and lookyloo who’s stopped by Nolcorp’s booth. In some instances he has even been sincere.

At least his booth is clearly the best at the fair. Comfortable chairs. Smoothies on demand. Nobody else bothered with a marquee, what with the event being indoors. Best of all it cuts Rossum’s tacky set-up from view. There is no point to six plasma screens playing a loop of advertising other than corporate onanism. He’s on his third smoothie and just finished talking to the two hundred and sixty seventh nervous undergraduate of the day (the other relevant stats being one-hundred and twenty overconfident undergraduates and one woman who thought he was a fashion model named Gabriel). A gamine woman with doe eyes and a shirt that proclaims her to be “The Babe With the Power” steps forward

“Hello Mr. Ross. My name is Alex, this is my boyfriend and you should offer him a job.” She says it with a sparkle in her eye like she knows she's impetuous but she’s going to try anyway. It reminds him a bit of his favorite Disney heroines. He shoves that thought to the side because Nolan Ross founder of Nolcorp does not have favorite Disney heroines (except for the part where it’s totally Megara and Mulan). The boyfriend is blushing under a mop of dirty blond hair and mutters what is probably a variation of please don’t take her seriously.  
Nolan looks back to the girl.

“You don’t want a job with Nolcorp, then?” She smiles like he’s a woodland creature that’s started to dispense grooming advice.

“No, you don’t make video games, so there‘s nothing for me to do unless you have urgent need of a program that sports realistic blood spatter graphics.”

“Sounds like a niche market at best. What’s your specialty, kid?” he says, turning to the boyfriend. The boyfriend looks up, which is a gamechanger because what Nolan took for shyness is disinterested arrogance.

“Neuroscience, which I can’t see applying well to a tech company unless you’re planning to take over the world one phone call at a time,” says the kid.

“He’s also a hell of a programmer and jury rigs all our devices to work better than the original model,” says Alex. She pulls an iphone out of her jean pocket and hands it to Nolan. He fiddles with it long enough to know a) this kid is a genius b) this kid is lucky to have an awesome Disney heroine girlfriend who will advocate for him and c) this kid is an idiot.

“Ok, kid three questions,” says Nolan

“Christopher,” says the kid “my name is Christopher.” Whatever. 

“One. You get to play laser tag with the historical figure of your choice who do you choose?” The kid’s eyebrows go up in surprise but he appears to be considering it.

“Ada Lovelace. She’d be so excited, definitely better than court and almost as good as futzing around in Babbage’s machine.” As answers go it’s an eight out ten, which is better than everyone else today. He’s about to say this when Alex cuts him off.

“Are you shitting me? That’s such a PSA answer. Women can be programmers too! The more you know!”

“And who would the great Alexandra pick?"

“Mary Poppins.”

“That’s not a historical figure,” sputters the kid. Alex smiles.

“Of course not. If the hypothetical can bring back the dead for games why not fictional characters?” That was a ten out of ten answer. Screw it, he’s definitely offering Alex a job, she’s too smart not to hire.

“Two,” says Nolan, voice raised to cut through the arguing “what moral objections would prevent you from completing a project?” The kids don’t know quite what to do with that one, Alex bites her lip while she thinks. Christopher fiddles with his bracelet while making clicking noises with his tongue.

“Well, I would say anything that kills people, but then you’re left with the dilemma of how far actions can reach,” says Alex. The kid nods.

“Right, like if I design a revolutionary tech gizmo but then the manufacturing of said gizmo gets outsourced to a company that pays its employees poorly and subjects them to unsafe work conditions is that then my fault?”

“We are of course assuming you lobbied for fair labor and were summarily ignored?” Christopher nods.” So the question is then: Do you assume the all the moral burdens of the company you work for, even if you don’t make the morally objectionable decisions?”

“Or vice versa,” adds Christopher

Something dawns on them at the same time, Christopher’s jaw drops open and Alex’s eyes widen. They round on Nolan simultaneously.

“This question is really about David Clarke.” Crap, Nolan may have to hire both of them just to ensure his competition never gets to these brilliant, brilliant monkey children. The rumors about David have been around for years, and there's only so much Nolan can do to obscure them.

“I believe you’re confusing me with Grayson Global a.k.a the idiots at the north end of the hall who thought personalized pennant flags were the give away item that would attract the best and brightest at the fair.”

Alex gives him a look that says she not buying that line of bullshit and she’s offended he thought she would. Christopher, however, looks shaken, like he’s come to some kind of epiphany. Christopher turns to Alex.

“This is how you feel every time I say something flippant to a serious question.” 

“And how does it feel, bright boy?”

“Like I want to punch him and laugh at the same time.”

“Disorienting, isn’t it?”

“Third question,” says Nolan. Best distract the geniuses while they were wrapped up in their exchange. “Why aren’t you trying to impress me? By all rights you should be slavering after a chance to work for Nolcorp. Someone scared or impressed you enough to make me small potatoes.”

“Rossum offered him something,” says Alex.

“Alex! I’m not supposed to talk about it,” says Christopher as he side eyes where the marquee obscures the Rossum booth. Huh, this the third promising candidate Rossum’s tried to hire from under Nolcorp’s nose. There’s no reason a company that deals in MRI development wouldn’t want a tech genius, but something strikes Nolan as wrong. He makes a note to try to get some spies on the inside.

“They can bite me, Chris. I don’t like their whole 'big brother cares about you' shtick. They must be doing something pretty suspect to need that much wholesome,” says Alex, hands on her hips. Oooh the kid is in trouble. Christopher rolls his eyes, which is a bad move on all counts.

“Name a corporate entity that doesn’t do something suspect. Monsanto is basically the devil and we still buy their fruit.”

“Hey I try to farmers market it up! And you’re redirecti-“

“Ok chickadees, it’s been real, but I theoretically need to give everyone equal time at this pitiful exercise in networking,” cuts in Nolan “but I am going to give you my number and I do expect you to call me. Soon.” They both look at him goggle-eyed. Like Muppets. It’s cute in a nonsexual-omg-they’re-babies way. He starts tapping his personal use number into the iphone Alex gave him. “If this shows up on the internet I will know who to blame and my wrath shall be swift and glorious.” Alex has enough presence of mind to take the proffered phone. Christopher looks like he wants to challenge the last statement, but is resisting. Thank goodness. Nolan is a fan of hacking-based pissing contests as much as the next technophile, but he’d like to steal both these kids from the competition and that’s easier with honey.

“C’mon sweetie, let’s go see if they have a bar where I can ply you with booze until you agree with me,” says Alex.

“Is this an example of that diplomacy you’re always telling me to try? If so I would like diplomacy to buy me a shot of whiskey.”

“Fine, but it’s gotta be the cheap stuff.” They wander off hand in hand. Nolan checks his watch, five pm, there’s still a wretched hour to go. 

They never call him back.

**Author's Note:**

> \- Yes, Alex is the woman who will be Whiskey. She is also the persona Topher imprints Sierra with in "Haunted".
> 
> \- The reason the Dollhouse hasn't approached Nolan is the brass is terrified that if he knows the tech exists he'll find a way to steal it, which is a damn sensible fear.
> 
> \- I'm blatantly ignoring some details from Revenge's second season because said details don't make much sense even by Revenge-y standards.


End file.
